Hope
by hintofmint
Summary: Riley's life turns to dust when her best friend Maya dies. Barely coping themselves, both Riley and Lucas are left to care for Maya's daughter. When all seems lost, will there still be hope? Rucas
1. Dust

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **Riley's POV**

Everything has turned to dust.

I feel as if I have drowned into a pool of darkness. No one can reach me, no one can help me. I feel numb with pain, my emotions have been wiped clean and all I feel is a pit of emptiness. I have no path to guide me, I am walking aimlessly with no destination.

I look around at the crowd of broken hearted people around me, their souls are mourning too. My own soul is in pieces, nothing can salvage it. I might as well be dead as there is no life in my body. I still can't process the horrific thought, my body is repelling the idea of it. I just can't be true...

Maya Hart cannot be _dead._

My strong, confident, independent best friend _cannot_ be dead. She's too strong to let a car accident kill her. They said she died on the spot, but I know better. My best friend kept on fighting, I know she did. She wouldn't have let her life slip away so easily.

My best friend cannot be _dead_.

Maya is my world, without her everything crumbles, it all turns to dust. Everything was falling in place for her, she was finally truly happy. It can't have been all taken away, it was too soon. She was finally happy.

My _sister_ cannot be dead.

* * *

We are all seated in a small bright room in the hospital, waiting to see if Aubrey made it out alive. _A few minor injuries_ the doctor said. Those injuries could cost her life, considering she's so young. I hold on to the last string of hope I have. I can't give on Aubrey now, after all, she is Maya's daughter. Maya's strength runs in her veins, it's part of who she is.

The doctor approaches us, his thin lips are firmly pressed together. This can't be good...

"Aubrey is ok, the surgery was a success" he confirms.

I sigh in relief, she's ok. The doctors eyes wonder around the room and he shifts in his place uncomfortably.

"There is a man waiting outside the room, he is looking for a Riley Matthews and a Lucas Friar" he states

I glance at Lucas and he bites his lip nervously. I thank the doctor and we leave the room. A short middle aged man is waiting for us, he is clutching a folder of documents nervously.

"Hello, my name is Matt Brown" He wipes a hand across his forehead before continuing "I understand that you both have lost someone close to you very recently, but this is urgent. It's about Aubrey"

My eyes widen in fear, why is he concerned about her?

"I am aware that Miss Hart passed away just over 24 hours ago, but it's my job to make sure that Aubrey is secure as soon as possible" he looks at us both, his eyes full of sympathy. "Follow me, and we can discuss this properly"

We follow him to a small room, and he pulls out a few papers from his folder.

"You were both very close to Miss Hart, am I correct?" he questions

We both nod. She was my sister.

"That explains why she put both of your names down. According to this, well according to Miss Hart, the request has been made that you both would take care of Aubrey in the case of her death"

My eyes lock with Lucas's and I'm pretty sure were both feeling the same emotions, fear and confusion. I can't look after a 3 month old, I can barely take care of myself!

Mr Brown looks at us before sighing "If you decline Miss Harts request Aubrey will be put in care. No other relatives seem suitable, including Maya's mother.. Whereas if you both work together to care for Aubrey, I am certain she will be safe and secure" he pleads

My mind is made up. I have to do this for Maya, she needs me more than ever right now. She trusted me so much, that she gave me the honour of being Aubrey's Godmother. I've never been more certain of anything else.

"I'll do it, for Maya" I whisper. I look at Lucas, he seems torn. He's a good guy, I just hope he will do the right thing.

"I'll do it too. There's a reason why Maya put my name down, and I don't want to miss that reason" he gives me a wary smile, and I reach over and hold his hand. In that moment I know that we are in this together.

* * *

One week ago Maya passed away. 167 hours have gone by since I was asked to be the legal guardian of Aubrey. 604,800 seconds have passed since my life came crumbling down.

I clutch the pen in my hand nervously, this last signature will mark the day my life changed forever. I read through the documents one last time. Moving in with Lucas was one of the requirements, am I ready for that? Forget that, am I ready to look after a child? Despite my worries I sign the page anyway.

I stand up, but collapse back into the chair as soon as I do. That last signature was like agreeing that Maya really is gone. Tears stream down my face endlessly, the pain is still an open wound that may never heal. Sobs shake my whole body, and all the pain is let out with my cries. I feel Lucas's arms wrap around me and I sob into his shoulder finally allowing myself to feel the pain. We stay like that for a while until my body is exhausted, and my ribcage is sore from crying. Lucas lifts my head slightly, and places one hand under my chin and kisses my tears away. I smile at him gratefully and we exit the building to where a women is holding Aubrey.

The women hands her over to me, and as soon as she does Aubrey's eyes flutter open. Her bright blue eyes melt into mine and I secure my arms around her tiny body, never wanting to let go. In those few seconds everything is perfect. Maybe there still is hope.

 **This story is a little different to what I would normally write, but don't worry things will get better as the story progresses. Until next time**

 **hintofmint xxx**


	2. City Lights

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise.**

 **A/N: I would like to give a shout out to Pony-Edward-Lucas' Girl your reviews are always so sweet, they make my day, thank you!**

 **Riley's POV**

As we drive to my apartment, I gaze out the misty window of the car. The streets are lit by the neon lights of the clubs and bars shinning on the rain-kissed sidewalks. The stars hang effortlessly in the sky, drawing your attention away from the world below.

I wonder if Maya has a better view of the stars from where she is, maybe she's painting the stars right now. I wonder if she's happy with my decision, is this what she wanted? I turn around and look at the small baby sleeping in the backseat. She's my reasonability now, everything I do affects her.

"Riley are you ok? you look worried" Lucas asks me with a small frown

"I'm ok, I'm just thinking about a lot of stuff" I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, and look at the bright city once more.

"What are you thinking about" he pushes. I tilt my head, so my hair is a curtain covering my face.

"I'm just worried, I guess. I know that I'll never be half the mother Maya was, and I'm scared I'll mess up" He glances at me before focusing on the road again.

"Riley you'll be great. Maya knew what she was doing when she put your name down, she trusted that you would do the best that you can, and you will"

"Thanks Lucas, I know you'll be amazing too"

We arrive at my apartment and Lucas carries Aubrey inside, he sets her gently down in her Moses' basket in the living room.

"So Riley, I think we need to talk about a few things" Lucas says whilst sitting down on the sofa "About where we are going to live, should I move out of my flat since yours is bigger or should we buy a new flat altogether?"

I am silent for a moment before responding "I think we should buy a new flat. This place has too many memories, I just think that we should live somewhere else that has no memories attached"

His eyes soften before he speaks "Yeah, I think so too. And about Aubrey, soon she'll begin talking, and I was wondering... who will we be to her? And how about when she's older, won't she ask questions? I just, don't know" I laugh as he pulls his hand through his hair in frustration. I freeze at the sound of my own laughter, the sound is almost foreign to me. I didn't realise it had been that long since the last time I had laughed. I look up at Lucas who has a huge dorky grin on his face.

"There's the laugh that I love, is the real Riley Matthews finally coming back to us?" he teases

I shake my head and sigh "I don't think she ever will"

Lucas expression falls a little, his eyes drop to the floor and he drags a hand through his hair again. "This is going to be hard for all of us Riley, especially you. I know how important Maya was to you, but we've gotta get through this. There's someone that's depending on us now, Aubrey needs us, she needs you Riley, the real you. She needs your goofiness and loving nature in her life, Maya wouldn't have wanted her death to affect who you are"

I look up into his green eyes, before a single tear rolls down my cheek "I know" I whisper.

He gently wipes away my tear and we don't speak for a while until Lucas interrupts the silence.

"Do you wanna go to bed?" he asks

I nod my head and he begins making his way to the guest bedroom, before I stop him.

"Lucas, can we sleep together tonight?"

"Of course" he lifts the basket Aubrey's sleeping in to my room, and we get into my bed together. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I bury my head into the crook of his neck before falling asleep.

 **2 AM**

I feel someone gently shaking me, I groan and roll over not ready to wake up yet.

"Riles, Aubrey's crying" Lucas's voice is rough with lack of sleep. We both look at each other in the dark, clueless of what to do.

"Welcome to parenthood" Lucas says sarcastically "I'll go make her a bottle"

I watch Lucas leave the room and I look over to the small crying baby, I drag myself out of bed and pick up Aubrey. Her small screams fill the room and fresh tears stream down her face, I gently rock her whilst pacing the room. She continues crying her face turning a bright red, I pat her back gently attempting to calm her down.

"I've got her bottle, I made it too hot the first time so I had to redo it" Lucas hands me the bottle and I place it against Aubrey's lips, but she won't take it.

"Lucas she won't take it, Maya didn't feed her from a bottle" I begin to rock her faster, but fail to calm her down. Tired from standing I sit down on my bed, and Lucas tries to give her the bottle again, thankfully she takes it, and her big blue eyes are glazed from her tears . Lucas strokes her soft curls and she slowly closes her eyes. Lucas looks at me, a boyish grin playing on his lips.

"I can't believe we put her to sleep" he says as he places her in her basket.

"Yeah, we make a pretty great team" I say whilst yawning.

We get under the covers and Lucas kisses my forehead before I close my eyes

"Goodnight Riley"

* * *

I wake up to the brightness of the sun blinding my vision. I turn over to find Lucas sleeping peacefully, I feel myself smiling at his quiet snoring finding it adorable. A soft cry comes from the basket and I pick Aubrey up, rubbing her back soothingly until her whimpers soften.

"Hey Aubs, are you hungry? Let's go get something to eat"

I carry her in her basket to the kitchen and begin making her milk. I feed her and after about half an hour she falls asleep. I begin frying some eggs, and turn on the radio.

"Oh, I love this song!" I grab a wooden spoon and begin singing along, enjoying myself way too much to care "I still get jealous" I sing, my voice soaring ,completely out of tune with the music. I swing my hips dramatically whilst clutching the spoon trying to reach the higher notes "your too se..." I pause my "performance" at the faint sound laughter. I turn around to find Lucas holding his phone up, a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"You better not have been recording me!" I threaten

"Oh, you know I did" he smirks

"I'm am so going to kill you, give me your phone!"

"Only if you can catch me" he teases, as he runs down the hall. I run after him, laughing lightly, until I smell smoke.

"Shoot, the eggs!"

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Just to make it clear Lucas and Riley are** **not** **dating...yet. But who knows what could happen in the future? *hint hint* Also Lucas is 24 and Riley is 23 sorry I didn't mention it before. I do not own "Jealous" by Nick Jonas, it's an amazing song though, am I right? Until next time,**

 **hintofmint xxx**


	3. New Places

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, thank you for all your amazing reviews!**

 **Riley's POV** :

"I don't like this one either Lucas, it's too small. Plus I don't want an open plan kitchen"

Lucas rolls his eyes in frustration, before giving the estate agent an apologetic smile

"Riles this is the 11th apartment we've looked at in two days. And you've said the same thing about all of them"

"I know" I sigh "But how are we going to raise Aubrey in such a small place, she's not gonna be 3 months old forever!"

"Sorry for interrupting, but I would suggest looking at three bed roomed houses if you are going to be living with a child" The estate agent suggests

Lucas's eyes light up with excitement "Yeah, that's a good idea...our own little house"

I bring my braid over my shoulder and bite my lip nervously, this is a big step, we'll be like a real family.

A _family_?

The idea had never occurred to me until now. I smile at the idea of our own house, we could paint Aubrey's room pink, oh or maybe mint green...

"Riley, what do you think?" I snap out of my daydream and nod my head in agreement

"I love the idea too"

The estate agent shows us a different part of town filled with houses for small families. He shows us a three bed roomed house, and I instantly adore it. The little cottage-like building is remotely small, but it's simplicity is what draws you in. The outside is painted white, and the brown slanting roof seems to tie in with the rest of the house. Flowers are planted in the front yard, and a welcome sign is pinned to the wooden front door. As soon as I step inside a feeling of warmth surrounds me. The rooms are a perfect size, and the living room has a little fireplace perfect for the winter. We go outside to the garden and I marvel at the large space, an old tree is planted in the corner with a cute wooden swing attached to it. As amazing as the rest of the house is, it's the bedrooms that assure me that this is our new home. I squeal in delight as I realise that all three bedrooms have their own bay window, I smile to myself glad that Aubrey will grow up with a bay window of her own.

"Lucas, this is the one" I state confidently

"Really?" he raises an eyebrow "It's the bay windows isn't it?" he laughs

"Just imagine, Aubrey will have her own bay window!" I gasp excitedly

"Well it's a good thing I love this place too" he teases

"So is this the one, or should we look at other places?" The estate agent asks warily

"This is the one" I reply, a huge smile spreading across my face.

"Ok just sign here and the place is yours. Remember that you have a month to move in" the estate agents says. I sign the last page and grab the keys from the estate agents hand.

"Lucas, you do know what this means right?" I hint

"Please don't tell me..."

"Shopping!" I interrupt before he can finish

* * *

Shopping with Lucas is a nightmare! I mean, who can't tell the difference between mint green and mint macaroon?

"Lucas" I groan "the mint macaroon is too dark, I said mint green"

"I give up" he over exaggerates throwing his hands in the air "how long does it take to choose a paint colour?"

"You have to be careful, you're gonna see these colours every day, and we are not repainting if you don't like a colour" I shoot back

He mumbles something under his breath before putting the paint tub back on the shelf. I shake my head at his immaturity before browsing through some more colours

"Riley don't your parents have to go somewhere soon? We were supposed to pick up Aubrey an hour ago"

"Looks like we'll have to comeback tomorrow" I say playfully

"Do we have to?" Lucas moans in a childlike manner.

"Yep, we do. And then after we can go furniture shopping" I chuckle lightly as his eyes widen in genuine horror.

"Guys sometimes" I mutter whilst rolling my eyes.

 **1 month later**

I flop down on the sofa in exhaustion. I look down at my paint covered hands satisfied with my work.

"Wow you did a great job with Aubrey's room" I hear Lucas say behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist from behind, and I swivel round and look into his green eyes. As I do, an idea pops into my mind.

"Hey Lucas" I say in the most attractive voice I can muster

"Hi Riles" his voice slightly wavers

"There's something I've been wanting to do for a long time" I hold back a smirk, enjoying every second of this

"What's that?" he asks clearly intrigued

"This!" I squeal whilst smothering the paint on my hands all over his face. I bolt across the room, run up the stairs and hide in my closet. I can hear him pacing the room, gradually getting closer to the closet.

"I know you're in here Riles, you can run but you can't hide"

He reaches for the handle, but before he can grab me I sprint out of the room, and down the stairs. I side open the door to the backyard, but soon after realise that I have trapped myself. Lucas nears me, a pure look of mischievousness on his face.

I prepare to run but he pulls me back this time, causing us both the tumble to the ground. We both laugh, our bodies tangled together on the floor. Suddenly Lucas looks up at me, a slight twinkle in his sea foam green eyes. He pushes a stray strand of hair behind my ear and leans down slowly, before our lips connect...

 **A/N: Sorry for the cliff hanger guys, could Rucas finally be happening? Until next time,**

 **hintofmint xxx**


	4. Maya

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **A/N: Hi guys, thanks for your amazing reviews!**

 **For the guest who asked I will be updating once a week, twice if I have time. Sorry I can't update more often but I'm busy with school and other things x**

 **theausllyrucasgirl \- thank you for your sweet review, as for who Aubrey's father is you'll find out very soon x **

_Last time on Hope:_

 _He pushes a stray strand of hair behind my ear and leans down slowly before our lips connect..._

 **Riley's POV:**

Our lips crush together perfectly in sync, the caress of his lips are softer than I could have ever imagined. Luca's hand moves from my cheek to the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my dark chocolate hair, lightly pulling me closer to him, deepening the kiss. A warm sensation floods throughout my body, but then quickly vanishes when he pulls away.

I glance down at the grass, not daring to look into his beautiful green eyes. He tilts my chin up, his thumb gently tracing my lower lip.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he whispers, his hot breath blowing on my neck.

I freeze, my mind completely blank for an answer. I sigh in relief when the door bell rings, running eagerly to answer it.

I open the door, to find Mr Brown (the lawyer) at our doorstep. I smile at him slightly before inviting him in.

"Thanks for letting me in Miss Matthews. I'm sorry to disturb you, but yesterday I was looking through a few files and I came across these" he hands me a few letters, I put the other ones down and stare at the one with my name on it. I instantly recognise Maya's scruffy writing scrawled across the envelope.

"Maya..." I say lowly, my eyes watering slightly.

"She left letters to close friends and family explaining her choices. Can I trust you to give the rest of the letters to the others?" he asks

 **"** Of course" I nod before he closes the front door behind him.

I sit down on the sofa, my mind brimming with questions. I run my finger along the sealing of the envelope, questioning whether I should open it or not. The envelope is clean and crisp as if it had only been written recently, I puzzle at what is written underneath the thin paper.

With one swift tearing I open the envelope, my hands trembling as I pick up the letter. I close my eyes briefly before reading it.

 _Dear Riley_

 _If you're reading this, I'm probably dead, or in a coma, but most likely dead. Words can't even explain how sorry I am for leaving you, but sometimes life makes its own plans, and you can do nothing to stop it._

 _Riley, don't let go of yourself because of what has happened to me. I want you, no I need you to remain the person you are, because if you become Maya, who will play Riley? Your an amazing person with so much to offer the world, and I can't allow what has happened to me to stop you from moving on. I give you the permission to move on Riley, I allow you to grow, love and live without me, you need to know that. I have a thousand memories of us, and picking just one was hard. I thought long and hard about this and finally made a decision, when you finish reading this look inside the envelope, I have something for you._

 _Aubrey, I love her with everything I have. When I had to decide who would look after her if I died, I had to put down people that would love her with everything they had too. I had so many options, but two people stood out above the rest. You and Lucas are two of the most compassionate and loving people I have met. You put your heart and souls into everything you do. The love you have radiates from you both, clear for everyone to see. I hope that you both will love Aubrey the same way I loved her, she needs you both, I need you both. I hope that you will show her how to meet the world in the right way, show her what love, hope and faith are._

 _Our friendship will never fade Riley, it lasts beyond our lifetimes. You will always have me with you no matter what. I love you. Remember that always. Stay strong, and live life to its fullest. Soon you will find out something, and I need you to understand that I couldn't tell you because I was ashamed, I was afraid that it would ruin our friendship. I did something terrible, something that could scar you're family forever, tell them that I love them, tell them I'm sorry._

 _In the box that I gave you for your birthday, I wrote some more letters, they are all for different reasons and times, so I'm with you every step of the way._

 _I love you pumpkin,_

 _Maya x_

I watch my tears drip on to the envelope silently. Maya is still with me, she never left. My heart fills with love for the small blonde, as I realise how much I still love her. She was right, our friendship will never fade. I peer into the envelope to find her ring lying in the corner. I put it on the finger next to my own ring, I guess ring power never fades too. I grab the box that she gave me from the side table and open it. It's filled to the top with envelopes, each of them labelled differently. I read each one, a smile spreading across my face.

 _For when you're sad, for when you're confused, for when you're in love..._

The list goes on, I look at her ring knowing that she truly will be there every step of the way...

 **Lucas's POV:**

"It's from Maya" Riley hands me an envelope "I think you should read it alone"

I nod in confusion, Maya wrote _me_ a letter? I stare at it momentarily before tearing the envelope open.

 _Dear Huckleberry_

 _Sorry, I had to do that, let me start again_

 _Dear Lucas_

 _Do you know how hard that was for me to write? Anyway your probably really confused right now, I know, so am I. But I figured that you deserved an explanation. You're a good a guy Lucas, you love and would do anything for the people you care about. I might have always taunted you for being born in Texas, but I've always respected the way you care for people. You have a big heart, and I know that you will love and care for Aubrey. I trust you with her, so please don't let me down. I don't want you to be confused about who you are to her, so just know that you are her dad now, just like Riley is her mom. I might have never said this but, I love you. Your one of the greatest friend's a girl could ask for. I have one more letter for you, but I only want you to open it when you are confused about your relationship with Riley. Thanks for everything, I love you._

 _Shortstack x_


	5. Mixed Emotions

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **Riley's POV**

 _ **3 months later**_

"Come on Aubs, I thought you liked mashed potatoes?" Her big blue eyes widen innocently as she spits out some more food out.

"You're so lucky your cute" I say playfully whilst ruffling her light brown hair. She gives a high pitched squeal, giggling lightly after. I lift her out of her highchair and place her on the carpet, glancing up as Lucas's comes bursting through the door, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"Hey Riley" He pulls me into a quick hug "Hi Aubs" he kisses her forehead before facing me with a hopeful smile on his face

"Good day at work?" I tease

"The usual, I treated a few dogs, and there was this puppy..."

A small honey coloured puppy comes running into the room, it's fur is a little mangled and it looks very fragile.

Lucas looks at me, his green eyes broadening guiltlessly "He needed a home, plus I couldn't turn him down..." he explains

"Lucas did you even think about the fact that we have a 6 month old? Just because you're a veterinarian doesn't mean that you can look after every stray" I cross my arms angrily and my eyes narrow slightly as he shoots me a goofy grin.

"Look at him Riles, you know I have a soft spot for puppies" he argues

"Actually, you have a soft spot for all animals, you tried to convince me to look after that kitten two weeks ago!"

"Hey, Mittens was adorable, I still can't believe you turned her down" he clutches his shirt, mocking a hurt expression.

"Whatever, we are still not..." I hear a soft bark coming from the weak puppy. I scan his tiny body, realising how malnourished he really is, I guess does need a loving family. My heart melts as my eyes meet the puppy's gaze, not even I can resist puppy dog eyes.

I feel my face soften "I guess if he's well behaved..."

"Thank you so much, I love you!" Lucas picks me up and spins me round wildly before pulling me into a tight hug. I can't help but laugh at his excitement "Did you hear that Aubs? We have a puppy!" Lucas yells, Aubrey squeals in delight as he spins her around and lightly throws her in the air a few times. I smile, shaking my head in amusement, sometimes it's like I have two kids instead of one.

"What are we gonna name him?" I ask

"Well, I was thinking Ranger" Lucas suggests

"Ranger" I muse "I love it"

 **Lucas's POV:**

I think I might be in love.

It's the little things about Riley that I've really fallen for, like the way her eyes shine when she's talking about something she's passionate about, or how she bites her lip slightly when she's nervous, or the way she can light up a room just by being there. She's beautiful too, her chocolate brown orbs make you weak at the knees, and her dimples are the most adorable things you've ever seen.

Ok, I officially sound crazy. But I guess that's because I'm in love.

I'm in love with Riley Matthews.

"Lucas?"

"Oh, hi Riley" I mutter lowly, how can I face her now that I've realised my feelings?

"Do you wanna watch a movie since Aubrey and Ranger are asleep?" Riley asks

"Sure"

* * *

I hate Western films, I guess Riley just assumed I like them because I'm from Texas. Even so, the last thing I'm concentrating on is the movie. I casually drape my arm around Riley's shoulder, pulling her closer to me. She buries her head in the crook of my neck, smiling slightly. After the movie finishes she pulls away yawing softly. Her eyes widen, and a grin appears on her face.

"Lucas it's snowing!"

She runs to the window, watching the snowflakes slowly fall to the ground. I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"They're beautiful" I whisper, although I was actually talking about her

She turns around and places her forehead against mine before our lips connect. I cup her cheek, deepening the kiss, I then push her gently against the wall grunting slightly as her lips find my neck. A spicy passionate feeling radiates over me, as our kisses grow more urgent. The passion begins to fade when Riley's grip loosens from my shirt. She pulls away, our breath coming out in short gasps. The intensity has washed away and the world is slowly coming back into focus.

"Woah" I breath out

Riley is silent for a moment, she shakes her head slowly before answering

"I'm sorry Lucas... but I can't"

"You can't what?" My heart sinks, the hope I had slowly dying.

She bites her lip softly, before looking up at me, unshed tears brimming her chocolate orbs.

"I'm so sorry Lucas. This is completely me, I'm just not ready to move on yet. I don't know what I'm feeling half of the time, and I don't want my mixed emotions to lead you on, you deserve better. I just need time to find myself again, I just feel as if the old me is slipping away more and more each day. I need to learn how to live in a world without my best friend before I can commit to anything. I hope you understand" She gives me a watery smile, and I smile back although my heart is tearing into two.

"Of course Riley. Goodnight" I lightly kiss her forehead before heading off to the guest room

"Wait!" she pulls my arm causing me to stop in my tracks "can you sleep with me tonight?" She briefly closes her eyes, her face turning slightly pale "I'm still having nightmares" she whispers.

Ever since Maya passed away Riley has been having nightmares, she wakes up screaming in middle of the night and only falls back asleep once I have calmed her down.

"Riley, you don't even need to ask. I hope you know I'll always be there for you, no matter what"

* * *

I down look at the brown haired beauty lying beside me, she's curled into my side sleeping peacefully. I think back to what she said earlier on _"I don't want my mixed emotions to lead you on"_ What does this mean to her? Do friends sleep in the same bed every day like we do? I'm so confused about who she wants me to be to her, because I'm pretty sure we are not just friends. Although lately I feel as if we are starting to become friends with benefits, I want to be so much more for her, I just wish that she would realise how deeply I care about her. Why does love have to be so complicated? I think back to Maya's letter, _I only want you to open it when you are confused about your relationship with Riley._ I guess now's the time, I take out the letter from the side drawer and open it.

 _Dear Lucas_

 **Sorry for the late update guys, I was super busy this weekend. What do you think Maya's letter says?**

 **Until next time,**

 **hintofmint x**


	6. Suprise!

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **A/N: Hey guys,**

 **Thank you for all your sweet reviews, you all are awesome!**

 **A few of you asked some questions so here are the answers**

 **Guest: You will find out very soon what Maya did, it's kind of revealed in this chapter x**

 **aliqueen 16: Thanks for the idea! She might appear to Riley, but I think that she's sort of with both Lucas and Riley through her letters. Aubrey will definitely be using her bay window, I don't think Riley will give her a choice! :)**

 **Enjoy,**

 **Lucas's POV:**

 _Dear Lucas_

 _I knew it._

 _I knew it from the day I pushed her into your lap on the subway. The chemistry that passed between the two of you was undeniable ,and yet I was the only one who noticed. I saw it from the way you clung onto her every word. And the way you looked at her, your eyes betrayed your every emotion._

 _I hated it at first, I thought that no one could care for Riley as much as I did, but I guess I was wrong. You love her Lucas. I know you do, so don't deny it._

 _Take your time with Riley, she's hurting. She might push you away, but don't give up on her. She loves you too, she just hasn't realised it. I'm not going to give you a step to step guide from just friends to marriage or anything, I just need you to know that she cares, so don't ever doubt her feelings for you._

 _Take care of her Lucas, don't allow her to mask her feelings. I know you're a great guy, but if you ever hurt her I swear I will kick your ass from wherever I am. I guess I'm leaving it up to you now, don't screw it up._

 _Let me guess, you want a piece of advice that will influence your whole life? - here it is_

 _Don't ever change Ranger Rick_

 _Love_

 _Shortstack x_

 **Riley's POV**

I groan as Lucas shakes me awake, why did today have to arrive so quickly? He continues shaking me until I sit up and give him a death glare.

"Sorry Riles, I had to wake you up. It's your family dinner, remember?"

Shoot, the big dinner. How could I forget?

"Get Aubrey ready, I have a lot to do!" I panic realising that we have to be at my parent's apartment in 25 minutes.

I have a quick shower and put on my dress, I sigh as I realise that the zipper is stuck on the material.

"Lucas, um can I have some help?" I call out. He walks in holding a very brightly dressed Aubrey.

"What the heck is she wearing?"

"I think she looks adorable" he smirks signalling to her I love daddy t-shirt

"Yeah, but she's bright enough to join the circus. Just put her in the dress I bought her last week" he groans and mumbles something about me being jealous of Aubrey's shirt.

"Can you help me zip up my dress?" I blush, as his smirk widens.

"No need to be shy Riles, it's nothing I haven't seen before" he says motioning to my bare back.

I roll my eyes and hit his arm playfully "Lucas you haven't seen anything, stop being such a creep"

"And you wonder why your still single" he mutters

"What did you say?" I raise my eyebrow and give him a stern look

"Nothing! Come on Aubs, let's go change your clothes" he picks Aubrey up and leaves the room

"You still didn't zip up my dress!"

* * *

I twist Maya's ring around my finger as we wait for the door to open, let's hope this goes well.

The door swings open and my mom pulls as all into a hug before beckoning us to come in.

Before I can talk to anyone else she pulls me aside, a concerned look on her face. "How are you holding up sweetie? I can tell that you don't tell the whole truth over the phone"

"I'm doing okay. I'm lucky to have Aubrey, Lucas and Ranger with me so I'm not constantly thinking about Maya" I give her a smile, but it falters and she gives me a hug. When I'm around my mom I feel as if I don't have be as strong as I usually am, she has enough strength for the both of us.

"Are you ready to go sweetie?" I nod my head and we go to the living room where most of my family is. I look around at the clusters of people trying to identify who is who. I rack my brain and try to remember the names of people I haven't seen since I was 5.

"Riley, is that you?" I smile as my aunt Morgan approaches me. I hug the blonde women that I haven't seen in three years.

"Hi aunt Morgan, it's good to see you again" I'm genuinely glad to see her, she's kind of the older sister (apart from Maya) I never had.

"Forget about me, what the heck Riley! How come I wasn't invited to your wedding? Oh right your only 23, people at you age are not ready for commitment . Well then, why didn't you tell me you where pregnant? I run clothing stores for goodness sake, I could've given your stacks of maternity and baby clothes. And how about your sexy boyfriend, I feel so out of the loop"

I raise my eyebrow wondering where she got all these ideas from.

"Aunt Morgan..."

Her phone begins to ring and she places her hand on her hip before answering "Don't think your off the hook missy!" she answers her phone and I hear bits of her conversation before she goes into the hallway "I ordered baby blue not ocean blue! This is a disaster..."

Aunts...

"I know, my sister can be a little crazy sometimes..." I turn around at the familiar voice

"Uncle Josh!" I leap into his arms and he laughs.

"I missed you too Riley" he shifts in his places for awhile, before he finally speaks up.

"About Maya... I'm sorry..."

I interrupt him quickly "No it's ok, she was close to you too. There's no need to apologise, we're both heartbroken"

"Thanks. Is the kid Lucas is holding Maya's?" he asks

"Oh yeah, that's Aubrey. She's amazing, I can't see why anyone wouldn't love her"

He smiles and looks over to Lucas and Aubrey

"She kinda reminds me of someone..." I stop him mid-sentence before giving him Maya's letter. He begins to tear it open before I stop him.

"Don't you want to open it alone?" I ask

"Opening it in public will numb the pain. I don't want to wait until I'm alone, that's when the pain will really sink in" he tears it open and begins to read it. Throughout reading it his expression changes from happiness to sadness, from sadness to anger and from anger to absolute shock.

He drops the letter to the ground and turns to look at Aubrey his eyes broadening.

"Aubrey..." he says quietly, his voice trembling.

"What about her?" I question

"She's my daughter"

 **There it is, I'm not sure how you guys will feel about this. I hope you enjoyed it anyway :)**

 **Until next time,**

 **hintofmint xxx**


	7. Sacrifice

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **hey guys,**

 **Happy New Year! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, especially after what happened in the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one,**

 **hintofmint x**

 _If you love someone you'll be willing to sacrifice your dreams for them. If they love you, they won't let you._

 **Josh's POV:**

There are some moment's you'll never forget.

I'm sure as hell I'll never forget this one.

I scan through the last line over and over, not believing the words in front of me. This must be some kind of sick joke.

"This is real funny Riley, I actually nearly fell for it" I laugh aloud expecting Riley to do the same, but she doesn't.

"Riley?" I ask

"Josh, I don't know what you're talking about. I thought you were the one trying to prank me"

I look over to the small child Lucas is holding. Her blue eyes meet mine and she smiles, surprisingly I find myself smiling back.

"Riley, how old is she?" I nod towards Aubrey

"She just turned eleven months, why?"

I don't reply, but instead sit down trying to process everything. I can't be true can it? Maya would've told me, what reason did she have not to?

 _Flashback_

 _I knock_ _on Maya's door, standing back slightly as it swings open_

 _"Josh. Come in" I resist a smirk as I take in her pyjamas_

 _"Nice outfit" I tease, tugging slightly at her Hello Kitty t-shirt_

 _"If you came here to mock me, you can leave"_

 _"Don't be mad Maya, I actually think you look adorable. But I think you'd look even better with it off" I wiggle my eyebrows and she stifles a laugh._

 _"Stop being such a creep Josh. Plus I don't have time for any of that, I invited you over because I need to tell you something" she sighs_

 _"Really? I have something to tell you too" It must be big if she invited me over, usually she tells me stuff over the phone._

 _"You go first" she compromises_

 _"Okay, this is pretty big. I'm still not sure how to feel about it, I mean I'm over the moon and all, but we just started dating and..."_

 _"Josh, stop rambling and just tell me" she laughs_

 _"Well okay... I got the job I applied for in France!"_

 _"In France? Wow Josh... that's...great" her voice dies down and unfallen tears begin forming in her eyes_

 _"Maya, I don't have to go..."_

 _"No! This is your dream Josh, I can't get in the way of that. Nobody can" her hands travel down to her stomach, and she looks up at me with a weak smile "How long will you be gone for?"_

 _"About a year. Maya, just say the word and I won't go. I would rather not go than hurt you in the process of trying to chase my dreams"_

 _"Go Josh. I won't be happy if you don't" she tucks away a fallen strand of her hair before sighing softly_

 _"Hey, don't be sad Maya. We'll figure this out together, I promise" when she doesn't respond I ask "What did you want to tell me?"_

 _"It was nothing" she places her hand on her stomach "Nothing important anyway"_

 _End of flashback_

She sacrificed everything for me.

Now I have to do the same.

"Riley, it's not a joke"

"Are you serious?" her voice is soft and a puzzled expression appears on her face "But how? she told me Aubrey's father was a one night stand, why wouldn't she have told you?"

"She wanted me to go to France, she sacrificed her own happiness for mine. The day I told her about my new job she kept putting her hands on her stomach, I think that's when she wanted to tell me about Aubrey, but I ruined everything" I briefly explain. It's then when everything clicks into place.

"I've got to repay her somehow" I declare

"How Josh? Maya's not here anymore" Riley asks

I look over to Lucas and Aubrey "I will, in any way I can. No matter what it takes"

 _2 months later_

 **Riley's POV**

Lucas comes through the door with two grocery bags in each hand.

"Lucas what did you buy? I only said we needed dog food and pasta"

"I know but I bought some other stuff for Aubrey" I can sense the excitement in his voice. Note to self- never ask Lucas to go shopping alone again.

"What did you do?"

"What do you mean? I only bought some vegetables, cheese, potatoes..." he lists

I stop him "Wait, and all this is for Aubrey?"

"Yeah, the book I read said she's ready to start on solids"

"You might wanna read it again, she's not showing any signs that she's ready for solids"

"Oh really?" he challenges. He puts a carrot onto the tray of her highchair, which Aubrey automatically grabs before putting it into her mouth.

"The book says that grabbing and trying to eat food are good enough signs to know that she's ready for solid food" he smirks

I roll my eyes in defeat "Fine, we'll trying giving her the pasta I'm going to make for dinner" my eyes drift to a envelope on the counter

"What's this?" I ask Lucas

"It came with the post today"

I tear it open and pull out the paper. My eyes land on the large letters at the top of the page.

 _Joshua Gabriel Matthews wants sole custody of Aubrey Lyla Hart_

What?

 **Sorry this chapter is a little short, I just wanted to get a new chapter posted as soon as possible.**

 **Who do you think Aubrey should be with Josh or Riley and Lucas? Let me know in the comments**

 **hintofmint x**


	8. Choices

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise**

 **Hi guys,**

 **Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I'm getting a lot of different responses on the custody of Aubrey. I had an idea in mind of what was going to happen, but I would still like to hear your opinions so I know what most people would prefer. I hope you like this chapter**

 **hintofmint**

 **Riley's POV**

What?

I'm consumed by the sudden feeling of _hate_. My body trembles and my hands curl up into tight fists. My breathing becomes erratic and my mind is in a dark place.

 _No one_ tears my family apart.

I hardly recognise my voice when I speak "Lucas I have to take care of something, I'll be back soon" I stride out the door, determined that I'm not going down so easily.

* * *

I pound on Josh's apartment door, only stopping to try and detect footsteps. I begin to kick it when no one answers.

"Hey,hey! I'm coming alright" he shouts from the other side.

The door slides open and his mouths hangs slightly when he sees me.

He quickly recovers and scratch's the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Hey...Riles" he stammers

"Don't _hey Riles_ me" my voice is filled with venom, he recognises this and backs away slightly.

"Riley.. listen, _please_ " I shake my head violently before hitting his chest. I continue hitting him, each punch harder every time. My knuckles become bruised but I shake off the pain, angry tears slip down my face and I give him one last shove, causing him to be thrown against a wall.

"How...could...you?" I scream in between sobs. He only groans in response.

The room begins to spin and it becomes harder for me to breath, my chest tightens and I grip onto the sofa arm.

 _Don't panic_ my mind screams

But my body has other ideas. My breaths are now small and desperate, and my chest burns with the desire for oxygen.

 _Breath Riley._

"Riley, are you okay" Josh asks, limping towards me

My breathing is slowly returning to normal, and I glare at the 26 year old in front of me.

"You're a jerk, you know that Josh? You only care about yourself, did you ever think about how this would affect me, Lucas or even Aubrey? I never knew what it was like to hate someone, but I think I have some idea now"

"Riley, you don't understand. Maya, she risked everything for me. I _have_ to pay her back, I owe her my life. She grew up without a father and I know she would _never_ want the same thing for Aubrey" his eyes plead me to understand, but I don't. And I don't think I ever will.

"You fail to see what's right in front of you. Lucas is her father. He loves her more than anything, more than you _ever_ could. This is killing me, but it will _destroy_ him, Aubrey is his world" my voice drifts into silence as I think about how this will affect Lucas.

"I loved Maya" I look at him as he says this "She never knew it, but I did. It kills me everyday thinking about what we could've been. All Maya ever wanted was a real family, and I crushed her chances at it. My dreams blinded me from what was truly important, and I can never go back. But I can change the future, Aubrey needs to know I care, she can't grow up broken because I wasn't around. One of the last things Maya said to me was, sometimes when it seems like things are falling apart; they might actually be falling into place. And I believe that's what's happening now"

I'm lost for words at what he just said, how are you supposed to respond to something like that?

"Josh, I understand. You want to make things right, you don't want Aubrey to grow up broken. But hurting people in the process isn't how to deal with this. We're family, going to court isn't necessary. We can deal with this together, as uncle and niece, not enemies okay?" His frown turns into a smile and he nods.

"Okay. I'm so sorry Riles, I wasn't thinking. I guess the guilt was stopping me from thinking straight" I laugh and hug him, everything's going to be okay.

"Can..I meet her...sometime?" he asks hesitantly

"Of course, but I was thinking that you could meet her right now"

* * *

"Lucas I'm back" I yell

"Oh, hi Ril..." his smile fades as he notices Josh behind me "what is _he_ doing here?" he must have seen the letter, I probably should've hid it before I left.

"It okay Luke, he changed his mind" Josh gives him a faint smile, and Lucas automatically tightens his hold on Aubrey.

An awkwardness lingers for a while until I interrupt the silence.

"Josh wants to meet Aubrey" I say to Lucas. His eyes narrow, and his grip tightens even more

"Luke, please. Let's not do this, Josh has a right..."

"No, it's okay" Josh stops me "What I did was wrong, I understand why you would be protective of her"

Lucas simply grunts in response and slowly hands Aubrey over to Josh.

"Wow, this is incredible" an awe struck expression is on his face as he grabs hold of her

"She has your hair" I laugh, referring to her dark curls

"But she has Maya's eyes. She's perfect" his face lights up as she grips his finger with her hand.

"I think she's getting tired. I need to put her to bed" Lucas cuts in from a distance.

I give him a death glare, which her ignores and takes her from Josh anyway. I give Josh an apologetic smile as Lucas leaves the room.

"Sorry about him. He's just super protective of her"

"I get it, I would be too" he chuckles "anyway I've got to go, I'll see you later. Thanks for letting me meet her"

I wave as he leaves, happy with how this turned out.

"Is he gone?" Lucas questions from behind me

"Yeah. But like I said he has rights Luke, you can't stop him from seeing her"

"I don't trust that guy" he mutters

"I promise Josh will never replace you. He just wants to get to know his kid"

For a moment we are absorbed in our own thoughts before Lucas speaks up.

"Do you want to go out tomorrow night? There's a carnival and I was thinking we could go. Not as a couple or anything... just as friends" he scratches the back of his head nervously before letting out a nervous laugh

"What will happen to Aubrey?"

"Farkle agreed to look after her... so what do you say?"

Why am I so worried, we're just going as friends. No harm done, right?

"I would love to go"

I hope I don't regret this...

 **Could Rucas finally be happening? Until next time,**

 **hintofmint xxx**


	9. Princess

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise.**

 **Hi guys, sorry I've haven't updated in forever. I have mocks coming up so I need to focus on studying for them for a little while , but after their done I promise I'll go back to my weekly updates**

 **I also realised that I've been mixing up Aubrey's age in a lot of the chapters, so just to clarify she's 11 months and will be turning 1 soon. Sorry for any confusion x**

 **Riley's POV**

"And remember that she has to be asleep by 7pm"

"I know Riley, this is the sixth time you've reminded me" Farkle gives me a tight smile before turning his attention to Aubrey "We're going to have so much fun, I'll turn you into a baby genius overnight"

"Just take care of her Farkle, and don't pull any crazy stunts " I hand him yet another list of instructions. He raises an eyebrow at me and I chew my already bruised lip in response.

"Come on Riles, we can trust Farkle. He'll take good care of Aubrey and Ranger" Lucas steps in.

I just nod my head in silent approval and Lucas grabs my hand as we close the door. I twirl a piece of my hair nervously as we enter the car.

"They'll be fine, you know that right?" Lucas's voice calms my nerves and I feel myself relaxing in the seat.

"So why a carnival?"

"I just thought it would be fun. Plus there gonna take it down soon and replace it for the Christmas winter land" he shrugs

"If they don't have candy floss I'm going home" I tease

"And I thought you came to spend time with your favourite guy" he teases back

"Who says your my favourite guy? I've got a lot of options to choose from you know"

"You do?" his voice falters and I laugh silently at his jealousy

"Yep. Tons of options, and their all pretty special too. You'd be lucky to make my top 10"

"Oh." his voice is flat, he tears his eyes off me and concentrates on the road. "Those guys are lucky, you're amazing" his voice slips into to silence and a soft sigh escapes from his lips.

"I know. My dad, brother and uncles are all great guys" I giggle, he shakes his head but I can see a grin spreading across his face.

"You are very sneaky Riley Matthews"

We talk and tease for a bit longer until Lucas parks the car, bright luminous lights shine from a distance and I can feel my heart racing with excitement.

"Let's go" Lucas grips my hand as we run towards the carnival. I laugh as we weave round the crowds of people my feet following closely behind his.

"Let's play this one first" I stare at the small stall Lucas has brought me to in surprise. It seems dull compared to everything else. The aim is to knock over the bottles with a baseball, nothing too exciting really.

"The person who comes closest to knocking a bottle over gets candy floss" he challenges

"Oh, it's on"

Lucas tries, and comes dangerously close to knocking one over. He grins triumphantly, already bragging about how good the candy floss will taste. I ignore him, focusing all my energy into tying to knock one over. With one swift throw ,my ball hits the bottom bottle, causing all the others to come crashing down with it.

Lucas gapes at me wide eyed and raises his arms up in defeat

"I guess I owe you candyfloss" Lucas says, obviously still in shock.

I grin and we head to where the candyfloss is being sold. I choose the bright blue colour, eating a huge chunk of it as soon as it is handed to me.

"Hmm this is so good. I swear I would marry candyfloss if it were legal"

"It would be a bit difficult to have kids" Lucas smirks

I just roll my eyes and offer him some

"No thanks" he declines " I don't wanna be a homewrecker or anything. This is gonna be hard to explain to Aubrey..."

I laugh and hit his chest lightly "What do you want to do next?"

"Why don't we go on the carousel" he offers

"Lucas I hate to admit it to you, but I think that ride's meant to be for kids"

"I know. But don't you think that the carriage would be perfect for us? You are a princess after all" he points to a pink carriage, and I blush at his sweet gesture.

The ride begins, and a swirl of lights surrounds us as the ride spins faster. I notice that Lucas is looking at me and I begin to feel self conscious.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask him.

"Because you're beautiful" He leans down and captures my lips with his. I run my hands through his sandy hair as our lips move in perfect sync. We tear apart as the ride slows down.

"Do you want to go to different ride?" Lucas asks

"No, I think I'd like stay a Princess for longer"

He smiles and I close my eyes ,as my Prince kisses me again.

 **Sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than usual. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting for any longer. Thanks for reading :)**

 **hintofmint x**


	10. First Steps

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything you may recognise.**

 **Hey guys, happy valentine's day!**

 **I feel really bad for not updating in a while, but the good thing is that my exams are over, which means that I can go back to my weekly updates:)**

 **Riley's POV**

"And here's my little princess, doesn't she look adorable?"

"Lucas, do you have to be carry round that video camera everywhere? It's kinda getting annoying"

He switches it off and scowls at me before picking Aubrey up.

"You just ruined that footage Riley. And you know that Aubrey could start walking any day, there's no way I'm not capturing it on camera"

I roll my eyes and take Aubrey from him. She giggles as I gently blow raspberry kisses on her neck.

"You can start walking whenever you want sweetie, don't let daddy intimidate you" I tease

"Seriously though Riley, I read that she should've of started walking from nine months. She's turning one next week, I'm starting to get worried" Lucas threads a hand through his hair and I laugh softly

"Luke, calm down. With Maya's genes we should've known she wasn't going to be eager to learn"

He sighs and turn on his video camera again.

"Come on Aubs, will you at least try and walk for daddy?"

Sometimes I swear it's like I'm talking to myself.

* * *

I feel Lucas violently shaking me and I immediately wake up. I'm about to yell at him until I see the petrified look on his face.

"Riley, I can't find Aubrey! I swear she was on the floor next to me but I fell asleep, and now I can't find her!"

My heart stops and I begin to frantically look for her. Five minutes pass and we still can't find her, by now I'm terrified of what could've happened to her.

"Did you check everywhere Lucas?"

"Yes I did, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have fallen asleep, she was my responsibility" Tears brim his eyes and I wrap him in a hug, it kills me to see him like this.

"It's okay Luke, we'll find her. We both fell asleep, so don't put all the blame on yourself" I say soothingly.

Just as I pull away from his embrace we here a loud crash from the study.

"Maybe she's in the study, I don't think I checked there" he says with a hopefulness to his voice.

I follow him to be study and there we find Aubrey, I'm so ecstatic that I nearly miss the fact that she's walking!

"She's walking! I can't believe this" Lucas shouts in disbelief

"What are you doing standing there, go get your camera!"

He comes back a few minutes later with his video camera in his hand and films Aubrey. My heart is filled with a warmth that I'm pretty sure is pride. I just can't believe my baby is walking!

After a few moments she loses her balance and falls to the ground, I pick her up and spin her around before squeezing her in a tight hug.

"Well done Aubrey! I'm so proud of you"

"I'm proud of you too" Lucas says from behind us. He envelopes us both in a hug and kisses our foreheads lightly.

"I love you guys so much" he whispers softly.

"We love you too Luke"

In the that moment I know that I wouldn't change a thing.

* * *

I toss around in bed unable to sleep. The silence makes me uneasy and my guilty conscience is making it worse.

I turn to look at Lucas who has Aubrey securely wrapped in his arms, but for some reason it just makes me feel even worse.

I can't help but feel like Maya should have been here to see her daughter walk for the first time, instead of me. It reminds me of how I felt the day we got Aubrey, like I wasn't good enough for her. Maybe I never will be, Lucas is twice the parent I am, and everyone knows that.

My eyes land on the box filled with letters from Maya , maybe I should open one? hopefully it won't make me feel worse than I already do.

I open the box besides my worries and sift through the letters. I'm about to give up until I find one that might help me.

 _When you feel like you're not good enough._

I hold my breath and take out the letter from the envelope.

 _Dear Riley_

 _I don't want you ever to feel as if you need to read this, because honestly you're the best person I know. But if you feel like you're not good enough, I'm here to reassure you that you'll always be good enough for me, no matter what anyone says._

 _All my life I've felt like this, but I've learned to move past it. You are who you are and it's almost impossible to change that. 99% of the time it's you that puts yourself down, making yourself seem like less than you really are. You can come up with lists of what you hate about yourself, and only one thing that you like about yourself, it's human nature. But there is always one person who can give you lists of what they love about you, and have an empty list on what they hate about you. For me that person is you. And I'd like to be the same for you._

 _What I love about you,_

 _You're an amazing friend and sister_

 _You remind me of what it's like to be part of a family_

 _You make everyone feel more amazing than they really are_

 _You bright up a room just by walking into it (cheesy but true)_

 _You taught me what hope is_

 _The list could go on but I want you to add to it. Don't under estimate yourself Riley, you're a beautiful person inside and out_

 _Love Maya x_

My heart melts at Maya words. How could I have been so lucky as to have a friend like her? I just hope she knew how amazing she was too.

I allow the tears to flow down my face, as I think of my best friend. I feel Lucas shift next to me but ignore it, hoping he won't wake up.

"Hey, what's the matter Riles?"

I don't respond, my heart aching with pain. He removes Aubrey from his arms and moves her to her crib. He pulls me from my sitting position and into his arms . We lay there for what seems like forever as I cry into his shoulder.

"Don't worry Riles, I've got you"

 **I hope this was worth the wait x Thank you guys for all your support.**

 **Until next time,**

 **hintofmint x**


	11. Boyfriends and Birthdays

**Hey guys,**

 **Sorry for the wait. I was waiting for my new laptop to arrive since my old one broke.**

 **I would like to say a big thank you to sand1128 and to the guest who commented recently, your reviews were so sweet.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Riley's POV:**

Two days. I have two days until Aubrey's birthday.

I have nothing planned. Absolutely nothing at all. I've never been to type to be disorganised, that was Maya's forte. But sometimes you get lost in life and the most important things slip your mind.

"Guess who?" Lucas's hands cover my eyes, blocking my view of the room.

"Um, let me guess...is it John?" I tease

"Who's John? Are you hiding something from me Riley?"

I remove his hands from my eyes and turn to face him. How dare he accuse me of cheating on him!

"Are you serious right now? How come every time I even _mention_ another guys name, you accuse me of cheating?" I defend.

His eyes flash with anger, and he drags a hand through his hair roughly.

"How am I supposed to trust you, when you're always talking about all these guys?" he argues

"What so now I'm not allowed to have any guys friends? You didn't see me having a go at you, when you went out with Missy the other day!"

"Don't turn this on me, the point is that I can't trust my girlfriend anymore!"

"Girlfriend?" I ask, stunned "When did I become your _girlfriend_? Is this why you think you can dictate who I spend my time with. The last time I checked you and I were _dating_ , I thought I made it clear that I'm not ready for a serious relationship yet"

The anger in his eyes quickly turns to hurt. Complete and utter hurt.

"So our whole relationship meant nothing to you? And to think I was beginning to think I loved you. I guess it's good that I know where I stand now" his voice is barely a whisper and I notice how his normally vibrant eyes have darkened into a 'marshy' green.

"Luke, I didn't mean it like that. I'm so sorry, I'm just... afraid" My voice seems more desperate with each word I speak, but honestly I don't care. I can't lose him.

He doesn't respond so I continue " I'm afraid of getting too close to you, because if I do... I might lose you. I can't go through that kind of pain again, it was hard enough losing Maya. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too" I take in a shuddery breath, as I attempt to keep myself from crying.

He wraps me in a hug, before softly cupping my cheek with his hand.

"I would never leave you Riley. I love you way too much"

He puts his lips against mine and I melt into the kiss. The passion builds as he leads me to the sofa, and places soft kisses along my neck. I moan as our bodies tangle together, as if they were becoming one. The desire escalates, but I mange to muster enough self- control to stop it from going any further.

"Lucas, we need to stop"

He rolls off me, his face suddenly a bright red.

"I'm sorry, you can blame my parents for teaching me to wait until marriage" I tease, although I can feel a blush invading my cheeks.

"I can wait... I love you Riley"

" I love you too Lucas" I admit. And for the first time I realise I mean it. " I know we're not in a special place or anything, but... would you be my boyfriend?"

"Wow _your_ asking _me_? I always thought I'd be the one asking you" he chuckles for a moment, and looks into my eyes lovingly before a slight smile appears on his lips. "But, of course I'll be your boyfriend"

* * *

My eyes flutter open as soon as I feel my body being violently shook. I roll onto my side and groan as the shaking continues.

"Riles wake up! Do you know what today is?" I look down to see Aubrey already has a cone shaped party hat on her head. The clues continued, they ranged from her 'it's my birthday t-shirt' to her giant birthday badge.

"Huh gee Lucas, I thought it was just an ordinary day" I tease him.

"No, it's my little girls birthday! I can't believe she's already one"

I laugh as he pretends to start tearing up, wiping imaginary tears from his cheeks.

"Of course it is. Give her here" I say, outstretching my arms as Lucas passes Aubrey to me. She giggles as soon as she is in my arms, and I brush her bangs away from her eyes and kiss her forehead. "Luke, I'm gonna change her out of these clothes, okay?"

"I think she looks great!" he argues

"Right. Go and get things ready for the party"

He sighs but leaves anyway. I look through Aubrey's wardrobe, my aim to find the perfect dress. Nothing seems special enough, and I begin to panic a little, until I notice a dress at the far back.

I take it of the rail, and I smile at the memory as I notice which one I've chosen. Maya and I bought this a while back, even though we knew Aubrey wouldn't wear it for a while. We were saving it for a special occasion.

"Do you like this one sweetie?" I ask Aubrey.

She giggles and claps her hands- I'll take that as a yes.

I give her a quick bath and leave her long dark curls loose. I slip on her dress and tights, before putting on her shoes. After I've finished getting Aubrey dressed, I get ready myself and put on a flowing blue dress. I smile at us both in the mirror, excited for the day ahead. Before we leave, I know that there is one last things we have to do.

I place Aubrey on her bay window next seat, and I sit beside her. It's time.

"I know you don't understand me, but I figured that this is the sort of thing your mom would do. I miss her a lot, and I know that she dreamt of spending your first birthday with you. But she can't, and hopefully one day I'll learn to be okay with that. I just wanted to acknowledge her, because without out Maya you wouldn't even be here. I probably sound as if I'm talking to myself, but maybe this could be our new tradition. Maya would've loved that"

I'm interrupted as the door swings open and Lucas enters the room.

"I've finished decorating. Are you guys ready?" he asks me.

"Yes we are. Come on Aubs let's go have the best first birthday ever!"

* * *

Isn't it awful how sometimes you realise your mistakes after you've made them, but only then they can't be changed?

I'm staring at our living room which is littered with pink streamers and balloons. It's not pretty like how you'd imagine, actually it's far from that. To put it into simpler words- it's hideous.

The decorations are placed in the most random of places, and the small party table is wonky, making the food on it lean to one side. I can feel my eyes widen when I notice that a part of the icing on the cake has been tasted, and the very obvious evidence of this has tried to be concealed, smudging the icing even more.

The lesson learnt: NEVER trust Lucas Friar to set up a party. And most importantly, NEVER leave him in charge of the food EVER!

Because honestly even a person with seriously bad eye sight would notice the handful of chocolates missing from the packet, and not to mention how he ruined the cake.

"What do you think Riles, do you like it?" I'm snapped out of my trace at the sound of his voice and swivel around to face him. His vibrant green eyes shine, and on his lips is a huge goofy grin. He is obviously really proud of himself, I don't want ruin that for him. So I smile and nod, giving him a hug briefly after to fully convince him, silently praying that he will buy my act.

But Lucas being the oblivious loving person he is, totally buys it.

The doorbell rings and Lucas answers it, giving me a chance to secretly straighten a few wonky decorations. I recognise the voices immediately as my parents, I pick up Aubrey and hug them both.

"The decorations are...nice. Did you put them up Riley?" my mom questions

"Uh no, actually Lucas did"

He grins wildly and my mom gives him a small smile, probably trying to prevent her eye twitching. She has a major a OCD when it comes to order and precision.

Fifteen minutes later, all the guests have come flooding through the door, well, all except one. My heart sinks as I analyse the room, noting how he still hasn't showed up yet. He of all people should be here, he _is_ her biological father after all.

"Hey sweetie, are you okay" my dad asks me, was I that obvious?

"Yeah, I guess. I was just looking for Josh"

"Josh? He probably doesn't it's Aubrey's birthday, I don't think he's ever met her. Don't get yourself stressed about it okay? Just enjoy the party"

I sigh and tell him he's probably right, how would Josh know it's Aubrey's first birthday anyway? He's only met her once. So I take my dad's advice and try to enjoy myself. I talk to my friends and family and watch as Aubrey plays with children close to her age. I can't help but notice how she doesn't follow what the other kids are doing, but seems to do her own thing. She one, and yet already she's starting to be like Maya.

The party is in full swing and the place is filled with a beautiful warmth. Who knew that one person could turn it ice cold?

Time seems to stop as the last guest arrives. No one was expecting it, but his return was worse than his last one.

There stumbling through the door was Joshua Matthews.

A severely drunk Joshua Matthews.

 **Even I'm a little disappointed in Josh, lol. What do you think will happen next?**

 **Until next time,**

 **hintofmint xxx**


	12. Boyfriends and Birthdays part 2

**Hi guys,**

 **Thanks for all the support; it really means the world to me. Some of the reviews form the last chapter were really sweet!**

 **calebcissna: I try my best to update once a week, but sometimes I might not have the chance x**

 **beatzlc: Thank you for your amazing review, I love Life As We Know It too, It's an amazing movie**

 **Enjoy x**

 _Last time on Hope:_

 _Time seems to stop as the last guest arrives. No one was expecting it, but his return was worse that his last one._

 _There stumbling through the door was Joshua Mathews._

 _A severely drunk Joshua Matthews._

 **Riley's POV:**

I can smell the stench of the strong alcohol from across the room. He's a mess.

His blue eyes are dark and lifeless, as if they hold no emotions at all. His clothes are falling of his body, seeing as there about three sizes too big. But the thing that captures everyone's attention is the cursive writing along his wrist. Only it's not been written with pen- it's a tattoo.

"Hey guys don't seem so scared. I'm only here to join the party, anyone have a cigarette I could have?"

He laughs to himself, looking around the room until his eyes land on mine.

"Niece, could you get your favourite uncle a beer?" he asks me, nearly stumbling as he approaches me.

"Josh, you shouldn't be here. Especially not like this. Please, you have to leave" My voice is low, but harsh. I love Josh but he has no right to do this, he can't ruin one of the most important days of Aubrey's life.

I manage to get him outside, where the crowds of people are less. The writing on his wrist stands out against the moonlight.

 _The day I lost you, I lost part a of me._

He looks down at the writing and smiles, for a moment his eyes are bright of full of life, but dim when he looks back at the sky.

"I miss her" his voice pierces the silence of the night. He sounds so broken, I'm just not sure how to piece him back together.

"Me too. Some days I'm not sure how I survive without her" I tell him.

"But that's the thing Riley, your surviving. I'm basically dead, everything seems pointless now she's gone" His voice is no longer slurred, but is now filled with compassion. My heart bleeds for him, I can't imagine how it would feel to loose Lucas.

"Is the tattoo for Maya?" He flinches when I say her name, as if it causes him pain to hear it.

"I need the world to know I'm broken, that I'll never be complete"

"Josh, Maya's still here, she never left. She's in all of us, whether it be through the love she gave us or what she taught us. Your little girl is the closest to Maya we have, she's special, and she needs you. Because without you, she may just end up broken too"

A few hours later the party has winded down. The presents have been opened and the cake has been cut. The last of the guests have cleared out, leaving Lucas and I to deal with the aftermath.

Lucas's hands wrap round my waist, and he spins me to face him. I smile and he kisses my cheek lightly.

"I never got a chance to dance with you Miss Matthews"

He pulls me closer to him, and we dance to the slow music. He spins and dips me in time with the music, still continuing to so when it has died out.

"I love you Lucas"

"I love you too Riles"

Our lips connect and for a moment everything pauses. For a little while it's just him and I in the world we've created together. Together we're complete, untouchable. I never want that feeling to fade.

"Today's been great, Aubrey has enough presents to last her until she's at least 18" Lucas jokes.

"I'm not sure that'll she'll appreciate a pack of diapers past the age of two. But that top my parents bought could defiantly be worn till she's 15" I begin to laugh and Lucas joins in with me. It's beautiful when can be your true self around someone.

"Do you know if Josh is okay? He's changed ever since... you know..." I give Lucas a small smile, assuring him that saying what happened to Maya doesn't hurt me as much anymore, I'm learning to move past it.

"It's okay to say that she passed away Lucas. I need to move on, and learn only to think about the good memories I had with her. I want to get to a stage where I won't cry nearly every time I think about her, soon I want to be able to smile, and then after that laugh"

"When you reach that stage, I'm sure Aubrey will be old enough to understand stories about her"

I think over what Luca's has just said. I've never particularly thought about telling Aubrey stories about her mom. I fear that it will become too painful to share those precious memories with her. Although I'm still healing, I know that it would be selfish, and most of all heartless of me to keep Aubrey from learning about her mom. Plus, I love her too much to do that to her.

I drift from our last topic and decide to tell Lucas about Josh.

"I'm not quite sure how well Josh is doing. He's hurt, confused and most of all he's misses Maya. He's going through a stage of deep regret; he just needs someone to pull him out of it. He thinks the only person who can do that is Maya..."

I pause, and realisation hits me like a ton of bricks.

"Riley...what happened?" Lucas asks.

"Maya is the only one who can help him"

"I don't understand, how is that possible?" Lucas shakes his head, probably guessing that I have a plan up my sleeve.

"If it's Maya he wants, it's Maya he'll get"

 **Hi guys, long time no see. I'm sorry about that, I was so confused on where to even begin. So many people voted no, and about an equal amount said yes. I don't want to disappoint anyone, so I've decided to use a suggestion that a guest gave me (please leave a name so that I can fully credit you x) hopefully this will please everyone.**

 **Until next time,**

 **hintofmint**


	13. The Reading

**I do not own Girl Meets World or anything else you may recognise.**

 **I honestly can't believe that I left updating this for so long. Honestly, I lost the inspiration to continue with this. I didn't want to disappoint anyone with the whole Maya situation. I never want to come to a point where I dread writing. But I'm back now, and I will try to do my best to update regularly. ENJOY X**

 **Ps: is anyone else still freaking out about Girl Meets Ski Lodge . Gah, I was sooo happy. He's gonna buy her a sandwich, a drink... and cake! I swear my Rucas heart exploded. Anywaaaysss on with the story!**

 **Riley's POV:**

Here I am.

Outside of my uncle's apartment, desperately hoping that my plan will save him. I've been lingering around his door, for past hour, trying to comprehend how to put this across to him. How do I do this without him thinking I'm insane?

I soon push past all of my concerns, and manage to bring myself to knock on his door. I wait for a few seconds, bracing myself for what's to come.

"Hi Riles, what are you doing here?" Asks my dark haired uncle.

"I wanted to talk, can I...come in?" I ask, peering into his tiny apartment.

He nods, a worried expression forming on his face. He leads me to the sofa and we sit down, his blue eyes curious to why I'm here.

"Is everything okay Riles? You kinda have me scared here" A nervous chuckle escapes from his lips, and I nod quickly to stop him from panicking any longer.

"Everything's fine Uncle Josh. I'm actually concerned about you. What happened at Aubrey's party the other day... that wasn't you, it never has been"

His eyes soften slightly before he answers, a short silence coming between us.

"I'm sorry" he whispers "I really am, I just..." he glances down at his tattoo, tracing the words carefully. "Her death affected me...a lot. I'm struggling to cope, all the while losing myself in the process"

I stand up and hug my uncle; it's all I can do. No words of mine can take away the pain, I should know.

Unfallen tears remain in Josh's eyes as he pulls away from my embrace. The pure hurt and tragic sadness in his eyes, push me to go through with my plan.

"Josh, I think I can help you. You just have to listen to my idea and... realise that release comes in many different forms"

He looks at me with a puzzled expression, his eyebrows rising slightly. I sigh, trying to gain the courage to say this.

"Were going to see a psychic medium"

* * *

In front of us stands the largest tent you can ever imagine. It makes a statement with its vibrant colours and different silks draping from all angles. Lights shine brightly, blinding both me and my uncle as we push through the fabric curtains. We stand in awe as we take in the scene inside. Burning oranges and hot pinks dominate the place, bringing a warm presence. Candles burn, filling the room with a calm aura. Dim lights shine, bringing subtle shadows with their light. In a corner a Pygmy money sleeps, a tiny blanket wrapped round it's body. Even I smile as the small creature further wraps itself in the fabric. In the middle of it all sits a fiery haired women, rings covering her slender fingers. I look around, and see no signs of an usual 'magic' equipment. The women looks up expectedly, and I shoot Josh an encouraging smile before pulling him towards her.

"Hi" I say, unsure of how to start this.

"You both have lost someone very close to you recently, and yet only one of you is looking for answers."

I take a step back, shocked. Even I didn't expect her to be so straightforward about it.

"You're the one" her ring engulfed finger points to Josh. "You're the one that can't accept the death, your still holding onto something"

"Her name was Maya, she meant everything to me. And yet I let her go, I let everything go" Josh admits, endless tears now streaming down his face.

"Maya" the medium muses. "She was a good kid, all she ever wanted was to know how it felt to be loved" her voice is questioning as if she wants us to correct her if she is wrong, and the most scary part is, she's not.

"Thought so" she nods "That's what she wanted...and that's what she got"

We look up, shocked at her words. A sure smile plays at her lips, most likely because she now has all the answers.

"She wants you to know that you guys gave her all the love she could ever want. The mistakes you made don't count for her, you gave her all she needed. The biggest thing for Maya is that you guys continue loving those who need it most"

"Like Aubrey?" Josh asks.

"Yes...like Aubrey" she mummers.

"Anything else from Maya?" I ask, curious to what else she can come up with.

"Um, no. Actually the afterlife portal is closing. You see only few mortals can access it, and it's only for a limited amount of time"

"Right" I deadplan, rolling my eyes.

"She wants you guys to know that she loves you" she trys, realising that I can see straight through her act.

"Um hm" I hum, already immensely pissed. I glance over to Josh, only just noticing the huge smile spread across his lips. I guess as long as he believes her, it was worth our time.

We show ourselves out, leaving the tent of lies behind us.

"So...how did you find it?" I ask my uncle, praying that he buys her act.

"I know she's a fake Riles" he laughs.

"Oh" I whisper, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice.

"But it did make me realise something"

"What did you realise?"

"Let's just say that I'll be adding to my tattoo very soon"

I grin, knowing that my uncle Josh is slowly coming back.

I'm brought out of my cloud of thoughts as he gently taps my shoulder.

"Hey, last one back gives Aubrey the talk" he challenges, feet already off the ground.

"Oh, it's on" I laugh, finally feeling free.

 **Hope this was worth the wait.** **Get ready for some Rucas centred chapters soon (yay!) Thank you guys for not giving up on me x**

 **Until next time (which will be soon!)**

 **hintofmint x**


	14. Sorry

Hey guys...

So it's been more than six months...

All I can say is that I'm extremely sorry. I never wanted to be _that_ author. The one that never updates, the one that never finishes their stories...

I don't know if anyone will read this, or if anyone even cares but I think that you guys at least deserve an explanation.

I started writing in 2014, and decided to publish my work in 2015. It been a while, and truthfully as I grow my interests are changing. I still enjoy GMW and A&A, but I now also like Troye Sivan and Harry Styles ( _insert eye roll at how I'm as basic as teenage girls come)_. I lost inspiration as I discovered different fandom's, but my intent was never to leave anyone disappointed.

I'm so grateful that people still read and enjoy my stories, and I'm going to try my best to continue with them, because writing is something that I will always love and enjoy.

Until next time (which will be soon :))

 _hintofmint x_


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